Molybdenum trioxide thin films doped with gold nanoparticles grown by a sequential methodology: Photochemical Metal-Organic Deposition (PMOD) and DC-magnetron sputtering

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were deposited by DC-magnetron sputtering onto molybdenum trioxide (MoO₃) thin films grown by Photochemical Metal-Organic Deposition (PMOD) on Si(100) and borosilicate glass substrates. The chemical, optical and morphology properties of the films were studied by UV/Vis Spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). SEM revealed that AuNPs formed after 5 s of sputtering. AuNPs are spherical and have both an average diameter of 18 nm and a relatively narrow size distribution. As the deposition time increases, larger structures are formed by an aggregation of AuNPs. XPS studies of the AuNP/MoO₃ films on Si(100) showed the presence of Mo(VI) and Mo(V), which indicated that the films were primarily non-stoichiometric molybdenum oxides. The occurrence of oxygen vacancies in the substrate play an important role to stabilize the AuNPs.